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Some politicians in the UK assume bad faith because they act in bad faith and have a long history of breaking their word. They expect that others are the same.The UK-EU Agreement of 8th December, 2017 is a classic example.David Davis MP, as DexEU Minister was present with Theresa May in Brussels when the agreement was made that allowed the UK-EU negotiations to progress past phase one.He is on the record as flying to Brussels for that final meeting. He is also on the record as saying that civil servants only acted with his approval, and specifically name-checks Oliver Robbins as such. Theresa May had become involved due to the need to keep the DUP on board.‘Theresa May became directly involved in early December, as the government sealed a deal at the conclusion of the first phase of talks, which risked being scuppered by the Democratic Unionist party.DExEU sources did not deny that Barnier may occasionally have been present at meetings between Robbins and Weyand, but insisted the civil servant only acted with Davis’s approval – and also liaised closely with the prime minister.A DExEU spokesperson said: “This characterisation of the negotiations is wholly and wilfully inaccurate. The Brexit secretary meets with his counterpart, Michel Barnier, at regular intervals to oversee the negotiations.“In November they agreed their officials would maintain a constant dialogue, so it should be of no surprise that senior British civil servants press the UK’s case as set by the prime minister and the Brexit secretary.” - Brexit department denies David Davis has been sidelined in talksDavid Davis understood perfectly well that the end of phase one agreement was a binding commitment if there were to be a Withdrawal Agreement at the end of Article 50. He acknowledged that it would be a formal legal text within that agreement.‘Pleasure, as ever, to speak to my friend @guyverhofstadt - we both agreed on the importance of the Joint Report. Let's work together to get it converted into legal text as soon as possible’ - David Davis, on Twitter, 12/12/2017David Davis’ confirmation of the agreement as a legal text came after he stated on the Andrew Marr show of 10th December, 2017 - two days after the the agreement had been made - that it was ‘a statement of intent’ rather than something ‘legally enforceable’.10th December, 2017 - UK public statements and David Davis‘It was reported that Downing Street advisers had told cabinet ministers who campaigned to leave the EU that promises around full regulatory alignment were “meaningless”’ - Downing Street advisers‘‘David Davis has clashed with the Irish government after claiming that the Brexit divorce agreement between Britain and the EU was a “statement of intent” rather than something legally enforceable’ - David Davis, Andrew Marr show‘‘Government sources insisted that Davis’s comments on BBC1’s Andrew Marr Show were simply echoing the European commission’s position that the legal agreement would be drawn up separately later in the process. They insisted “there is no question of our commitment to the text of the joint report” - Government sources‘“The odds of a WTO [World Trade Organization] or no-deal scenario have dropped dramatically,” he said, admitting that he may not have been able to make that statement if last week’s negotiations had ended in deadlock, delaying trade talks until at least March.Davis made clear that the promised divorce bill, which is expected to be between £35bn and £39bn, would be paid only once a trading arrangement had been agreed, saying “no deal means we won’t be paying the money.” - David Davis, Andrew Marr show- David Davis clashes with Ireland over Brexit dealThe context of ‘nothing is agreed until everything is agreed’ David Davis’ own words of that time indicate that he was present for the agreement and that he understood that the commitments made would be precondition for any final withdrawal agreement.That he back-tracked and said the content of the agreement of December 2017 were not legally enforceable does not mean that he didn’t understand that there would no withdrawal agreement without them. When he back-tracked in that Marr interview, not surprisingly it looked like he had made a agreement in bad faith, and that legally binding commitments would be necessary.The evidence David Davis gave a few weeks ago is pretty different to the reporting from December 2017.As are the reactions of several UK politicians to the December 2017 agreement.This is David Davis’ evidence in January 2019 to the select committeeQ34 Chair: I have one question that has arisen out of what you have just said. You mentioned December; 8 December is etched in everybody’s mind, certainly in Northern Ireland and certainly in the House of Commons now. That is when the backstop was agreed. Can you throw any light on what actually happened at the moment that backstop was brought in? It came out of the blue as far as everybody else was concerned. How did it happen? To what extent would you like to comment on the manner in which it has worked out?Mr Davis: In essence, as I have said before, No. 10 took over the last phase of the negotiations directly. Mr Varadkar made his demand. There was a phase they went through when he made a demand for complete harmonisation. They changed the language to “full alignment” rather than “harmonisation”. That may be why No. 10 came to the view that it had got an agreement on alignment of outcomes rather than alignment of regulation. I raised my concerns, my Balfour declaration point. But it was plain that the Prime Minister wanted to make progress—“make progress” was the term used—at the December Council. I basically turned my mind to how I could make this work somehow. If you look at my statements in the Commons, I talk about full alignment of outcomes. That is what I was trying to nail down. The reason I made that in the Commons is that it is very public, it is very clear and it commits the Government, but I am afraid that bled away.On the Monday, which was the 4th, we went to Brussels. There was a lunch. We were going through a series of things. We were having arguments about a variety of things that were not this fundamental issue at this stage; we were arguing over one of the other things I was concerned about, which was the eight‑year period for European citizens in the UK to have EU‑competent rights. Then there was a call from Arlene Foster, I am guessing about half an hour, during which it became plain that the DUP was concerned about that and that we could not make progress, bearing in mind that we were dependent on it for delivering the vote on this subject. We came back. There were three days of discussions with the DUP.Q35 Chair: Is this from the 5th to the 8th?Mr Davis: Yes, basically. Eventually, the Prime Minister had to say, “We have to come to a conclusion, because the Council is next week”. We went back at the crack of dawn on the Friday. I vaguely remember leaving home at about 3.30 in the morning. We signed off on the “full alignment” words.Q36 Chair: Did the idea come from the Prime Minister?Mr Davis: The idea for the “full alignment” words, you mean.Chair: I mean the idea for the backstop.Mr Davis: No.Oral evidence - UK Exit from the EU - 16 Jan 2019December 8th, 2017 - political comment on the December 2017 agreement.Here are some direct quotes from December 2017.Boris Johnson tweets: “Congratulations to PM for her determination in getting today's deal.“We now aim to forge a deep and special partnership with our European friends and allies while remaining true to the referendum result - taking back control of our laws, money and borders for the whole of the UK.”British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who spearheaded the 2016 Brexit campaign, congratulated May, adding that Britain would now take back control of its laws, money and borders’Penny Mordaunt: “Much cheer at news of EU deal at my visit to Portsmouth seafoods this morning to discuss a sustainable food strategy.“The world is our oyster! Now let's discuss the things that matter to those we represent: trade and opportunities.”Damian Green: “Breakthrough in Brussels. Big successful moment for Theresa May and UK.”Michael Gove: “This agreement is a significant political achievement for the Prime Minister.”‘He also defended the promise of “full alignment” with the EU to ensure no hard border in Northern Ireland if there were no deal, saying it was right for the UK to have the same goals on standards for issues such as the environment’Andrea Leadsom: “Well done Theresa May!”Arch Eurosceptic Iain Duncan Smith told the Sun: “The key thing is that it’s clear from this agreement that the EU and the Irish moved sufficiently for the British Government to be able to accept it.“The parameters of this are much tighter than they were.“The key element of this is that this is not a free trade agreement, it’s a base plate that is dependent on everything else happening.“We are leaving the single market, we are leaving the customs union and we will be able to strike trade deals with the rest of the world.”Boris Johnson tweets: “Congratulations to PM for her determinatioGuy Opperman added: “And trade talks will be tough but today’s breakthrough is genuine sunshine on a winter’s day.”What we have got is just a commitment to try to work towards agreed solutions and if there are no agreed solutions then the clause provides that the UK will maintain full alignment with the rules of the internal market which support north-south cooperation’ - David Jones MP, leave campaigner and ex-Brexit Minister[It meant that Northern Ireland would] "not be separated constitutionally, politically, economically or regulatory from the rest of the United Kingdom" and "in all circumstances the United Kingdom will continue to ensure the same unfettered access for Northern Ireland's businesses to the whole of the UK internal market" - DUP Leader Arlene Foster[It means that Britain will pay] "an extravagant sum of money we don't owe" and leave it unable to make its own trade deal’ - Nigel Farage"It reduces the risk of a catastrophic no-deal Brexit" [but questioned if it would last or be] "torn apart by Theresa May's own MPs" - Vince Cable8th December, 2017This is the text of the agreement David Davis et al were reacting to:UK-EU Agreement for the end of phase one talksaahttps://ec.europa.eu/commission/sites/beta-political/files/joint_report.pdfReaction from Ireland to agreement of 8th December, 2017‘They recognise that she's given very firm guarantees and I think this certainly allows the negotiations to go on. But, you know, we could be still here this time next year arguing about some of the detail." - Bertie Ahern, former Irish PM on Irish Government believing Theresa May to be negotiating in good faith.‘"No new barriers between Northern Ireland and Great Britain will develop unless the Northern Ireland Assembly and executive agree to it …There is no question of us exploiting Brexit as a means of moving to a united Ireland without consent …[the rights of EU citizens would be] available to anyone in Northern Ireland who chooses to exercise his or her right to be an Irish citizen, regardless of their political persuasion or religious beliefs" - Leo Varadkar.Report on the 8th December 2017 agreement‘The first phase of Brexit talks between the EU and UK negotiating teams needed six rounds of discussion over seven months. Finally, on Friday 8 December, an agreement in principle on the three priority issues – citizens’ rights, a financial settlement and Northern Ireland – was reached. The European Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker, and the UK Prime Minister, Theresa May, endorsed a joint report setting out a common understanding on the future withdrawal agreement. Whilst a number of specific aspects are still under discussion, the European Council decided on 15 December that 'sufficient progress' had been achieved on the first-phase priority issues, and that negotiations could move on to the second phase – on transitional arrangements and the future EU-UK relationship – provided the commitments from the joint report are fully translated into the draft withdrawal agreement’Whilst the joint report is a political declaration, and the exact text of the withdrawal agreement has yet to be drafted, it forms the basis on which both the Commission and the European Parliament recommended that the European Council declare that there had been sufficient progress, so that the second phase of Brexit talks could begin. After contradictory statements from the UK government on the binding nature of the commitments in the joint report, the European Parliament included in its resolution on the state of play of the Brexit negotiations, adopted on 13 December, that negotiations can only progress during the second phase if the UK government fully respects those commitments and if they are fully translated into the draft withdrawal agreement. The same condition is included in the European Council (in EU-27 configuration) guidelines for the second phase talks, adopted on 15 December. The European Council also decided that sufficient progress had been achieved on the three priority issues, so that negotiations can move on to the second phase – on transition and the framework for the future EU-UK relationship.Notably, the arrangements set out in the joint report could still be ‘adapted to the transitional agreement’, and they are ‘without prejudice to discussions on the future EU-UK relationship’. Furthermore, it states that the commitments will be reflected in the withdrawal agreement ‘in full detail’, whilst ‘nothing is agreed until everything is agreed’. This last caveat has prompted some to claim that the upholding of the commitments in the joint report would be conditional upon agreement on a future trade deal between the EU and the UK. Rather, the caveat refers only to the withdrawal agreement, since according to Article 50(2) TEU, the withdrawal agreement will only ‘take into account’ the framework for the future relationship between the Union and the withdrawing Member State and cannot comprise such a future relationship agreement – which can only be finalised once the withdrawal has taken placeTherefore, the overarching objectives of talks on Northern Ireland and Ireland were agreed at an early stage, namely: the protection of the gains of the peace process and of the Good Friday Agreement in all its parts; the maintenance of existing bilateral agreements and arrangements between the UK and Ireland, including the Common Travel Area; avoiding a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland, while preserving the integrity of the single market, and other specific issues deriving from the unique situation of Northern Ireland. Furthermore, it was agreed that the commitments on Northern Ireland made in the first phase will be upheld in all circumstances and will not pre-determine discussions on the framework of future EU-UK relations.The UK published a position paper on the issue on 16 August 2017. While some aspects were consistent with the preferences of the Irish government and the European Council guidelines, it linked, however, the issue of avoiding a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland to discussions in the second phase of talks, on eventual customs EPRS The Brexit process: Moving to the second phase of negotiations Members' Research Service Page 8 of 12 agreements and a free trade agreement between the EU and the UK. The paper remained vague as to how the border will be managed, if it were to be kept open.The question of preventing a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland became the main sticking point in the negotiations. The proposed notion of continued regulatory alignment between Northern Ireland and Ireland provoked a breakdown in the talks, due to opposition from the Democratic Unionist Party (the Northern Ireland allies of Theresa May’s government), before agreement was reached on 8 December 2017. ’ -http://www.europarl.europa.eu/EPRS/EPRS-Briefing-614645-Brexit-process-moving-second-phase-negotiations-FINAL.pdfComparing what was said by some British politicians in December 2017 and what they are saying now, it is hard to escape the conclusion that they were not serious about the commitments made back then.Through that prism perhaps they default to a backstop of believing the same of anybody else.Quotes from:Brexit deal ‘in hours’ as Theresa May jets into Brussels after overnight talksBritain, EU clinch Brexit 'breakthrough' with move to trade talks'Breakthrough' deal in Brexit talksWhat does Brexit deal mean for NI?Broad welcome for UK-EU Brexit deal

KAWAGUCHI, SAITAMA PREF. - Sneak attack? Yes. But a surprise? Not according to the Honolulu Advertiser. Its Nov. 30, 1941, edition proclaimed that “Japan may strike over the weekend.”A surprise at the U.S. governmental level? “This dispatch is to be considered a war warning” read an admonition from U.S. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Harold Stark on Nov. 27. “An aggressive move by Japan is expected within the next few days.”The people of America? A Gallup poll recorded that between July and September of that fateful year, the percentage of the public in favor of “stopping Japan,” even “at the risk of war,” had “risen from 51 percent to 70 percent.” That Gallup was even asking such a question suggests the prospect of war was no great surprise to the heartland.In truth, the outbreak of war between the United States and Japan astonished very few at all. By the time of Pearl Harbor, civilians, military dependents, and even military personnel had long since been evacuated out of Hong Kong, Singapore, Rabaul, the Philippines and most significantly, the Western-controlled enclave of Shanghai. In the early days of December 1941, battleship row at Pearl Harbor was a picture of enticing targets. Not so the wharves that lined Shanghai’s Huangpu River. On the eighth of that month (Dec. 7, Hawaiian time), there was but a single U.S. warship to be found.The U.S. vessel to fall at Shanghai was the USS Wake. A modest gunboat, the Wake was the final naval craft to make its way down the Yangtze River from the Chinese interior during the prewar evacuation. It made the trip in tow with two Japanese escorts — all three ships at battle stations and sweating on the next radio transmission. Upon arrival at Shanghai, the Wake was stripped of all but small arms ammunition and the regular crew of 55 was reduced to 14, more than half of whom were radiomen. On the morning of Monday the 8th it was taken without a shot being fired, thus becoming the only American vessel of World War II to be captured “intact and without resistance.” This unfortunate distinction, however, was not fully deserved. Shanghai had already “fallen.” War was considered inevitable and the city had been conceded because all knew well that it couldn’t be held.Other parts of the Asia-Pacific theater being cleared were the foreigner quarters of Tokyo and the North Pacific Ocean. In the final weeks before war, an unusually large number of foreign nationals steamed out of Yokohama with a noticeable sense of urgency and purpose, while that other purposeful armada, the Japanese carrier fleet, made its journey to the islands of Hawaii through waters which the U.S. had pronounced “vacant.” The ocean was declared closed when war became “imminent,” explained Rear Adm. Richmond K. Turner, head of the War Plans Division of the U.S. Navy. The U.S. diverted traffic south “so that the track of the Japanese task force would be clear.”Also devoid of an American presence was the northern periphery of Hawaii’s Oahu Island. In early 1941, with tensions in Asia rising, the American command at Pearl Harbor began to patrol the surrounding waters by air. While initially covering the full perimeter, these patrols were inexplicably confined to the south from around the middle of that year. Two weeks prior to the actual attack, Adm. Husband Kimmel, commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, moved ships into waters north of Hawaii — the location from which Japan’s carrier planes would ultimately be launched. The patrol was short-lived. When Washington learned that the fleet was out on vacant seas it promptly ordered it home.The question as to whether America had concrete knowledge of the Pearl Harbor attack is one for which it enjoys plausible deniability, but ample evidence exists of attempts to provoke Japan into war — much of it in plain English. According to a diary entry of Secretary of War Henry Stimson, President Franklin D. Roosevelt stated in late November 1941 that the problem at hand was how to “maneuver” the Japanese “into firing the first shot,” thus enabling the American government to gain the full support of its people. Stimson’s post-Pearl Harbor reaction was that the “Japs” had “solved the whole thing.”It is ostensibly aberrant that a nation would seek to be attacked, but the rationale behind this U.S. desire is uncontroversial. During the election campaign of 1940, Roosevelt, the incumbent, made great electoral gains from a promise to stay out of the European war. By the time of Pearl Harbor, however, he had long since concluded that his nation could not sit idly by while the Nazis threatened complete domination of Europe. An avenue was needed in which the pledge could be overturned. Induced or not, the attack by Japan — a treaty-bound Germany ally — was welcomed.That America and Japan held negotiations prior to the outbreak of war is commonly known. The standard U.S. contention is that the Japanese continued to “treacherously” negotiate, even as the carrier fleet sailed. The Japanese counter is that the U.S. ceased to act in good faith after the conclusion of the Atlantic Conference, a summit between Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in July 1941.Support for this counter claim can be found in the words of Benjamin Sumner Welles, U.S. undersecretary of state. “I think I can baby them along for a while,” Welles claims Roosevelt bragged during the course of that high-level exchange. This interpretation of Roosevelt’s behavior from July 1941 and beyond is supported by British Ambassador to Japan Robert Craigie, who cabled Foreign Minister Anthony Eden that “the Americans seem to be playing for time.”The ultimate breach occurred with the delivery to Japan of the Hull note on Nov. 26. The Hull note (named after Secretary of State Cordell Hull) was described by Foreign Minister Shigenori Togo as “obnoxious,” “unreasonable,” a “marked retrogression from earlier understandings” and wholly in disregard of the negotiations that had been carried out over the preceding six months. It essentially demanded Japan revert back to its 1895 footing — a summons which would have required U.S. withdrawal from the Philippines and Pearl Harbor if inversely applied. Needless to say, the Japanese were no more likely than America to comply.Of even greater significance than the Hull note was the note Hull did not write in response to the request by wartime Prime Minister Hideki Tojo’s predecessor, Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe, for a meeting between himself and Roosevelt. On Aug. 18, 1941, with the question of war in the balance, Konoe proposed a meeting at the highest governmental level. He not only consented to hold it on American soil but promised to bring army and navy officers of sufficient stature and influence to ensure that the agreements would be honored. “For the Prime Minister to shatter all precedent and tradition” and “come cap in hand,” U.S. ambassador to Japan Joseph Grew’s diary records, “is a gauge of the determination” of the Konoe administration to resolve the ongoing crisis. A formal reply was never received. The meeting was never held.The success of this presumed U.S. stratagem is evident in the widespread acceptance of a “December 8th interpretation” of Pearl Harbor that survives to the present day. On that illustrious date in 1941, Roosevelt made his “day of infamy” speech in which the Pearl Harbor raid was labeled as a stab in the back against an isolationist America. This image has become so entrenched and pre-eminent in the collective American psyche that attempts to insert context into the Pacific War are routinely met with the blanket rebuttal of “Pearl Harbor!”To be sure, the Japanese did what they did. Pearl Harbor was illegal, wrong and an option rather than imperative, but the sense of Pearl Harbor being a surprise has contributed to the formation of a troubling mindset in which past is not prologue. This was never more evident than on Sept. 11, 2001, itself when Richard Armitage, a “Japan hand,” announced on behalf of the Bush administration that “history begins today.” Unsurprisingly, the subsequent military action was pursued without consideration to the primary grievance of Osama bin Laden that America remove itself from “the land of Muhammad,” nor to the fact that 15 of the 19 suicide bombers, as with bin Laden, were Saudi Arabian.To deter reoccurrence of the post-9/11 reaction it would be conducive if the standard interpretation of Pearl Harbor moved in the direction of December the 9th, and preferably, many more decades beyond. To this end, it may be time for the Japanese to offer some additional “shock and awe,” but this time of a mischievously verbal kind. Another to openly welcome the prospect of Japanese attack in the prewar weeks was U.S. Army Chief of Staff George C. Marshall, before offering a postwar amendment that “of course, no one anticipated that this act would be the crippling of the Pacific fleet.” “We apologize for the Pearl Harbor attack being outside the bounds of that which was desired,” the Japanese might therefore proclaim. “But what, pray tell, was the attack you had in mind?”

I wrote this story for Pagalguy, hope you will like it.This is my story and it is a story of hope….“Every event has a purpose and every setback its lesson. I have realized that failure, whether of the personal, professional or even spiritual kind, is essential to personal expansion. It brings inner growth and a whole host of psychic rewards. Never regret your past. Rather, embrace it as the teacher that it is.” ― Robin S. SharmaToday is 26th April 2016, it’s 4:30 PM and the result of IIM Kozhikode has just been declared. As my trembling hands open the IIM K website my mind drifts back to the moment where it all started, The day I solved my first quant question. I still remember the sheer rush of blood and exhilaration I experienced at the prospect of preparing for CAT. “So how is it all going to end?”, My mind asked. I put in my CAT registration no and the screen starts buffering, the wait of a few seconds seems like a lifetime…The StartKaran, are you sure you want to prepare for CAT? My father asked me, you performed terribly in IITJEE despite all the coaching, you even destroyed your 12th boards score in the process, think about it again? Clearly, my father doesn’t believe in me but my brother still does as he pays my fees for CAT coaching and enrolls me at TIME Delhi (Pitampura) batch 13A, and like this, I started preparing for CAT 2013 one and half year before in July 2012. The classes were supposed to start in July but I started my preparation in June itself, I took up my brother’s old time modules and started wreaking havoc on the Quant and DILR modules. Before the classes even started I was done with a lot of course material.The wealthiest place on the planet is the graveyard. Because in the graveyard we will find inventions that we never ever were exposed to. Ideas and dreams that never became a reality. Hopes and aspirations that were never acted upon.He meets her.‘What is the language of an engineer sir?”, a cute looking girl asks our quant professor, I was standing just beside her. She had perfect black eyes, short structure, and an extremely beautiful face. My big eyes met hers and I answered her question- “I guess it should be Mathematics since it is used heavily in different domains.” The professor seems satisfied with my answer and nods. She also gave me a grin smile and both of us went our different ways, I didn’t realize it then but that girl was going to be instrumental in me realizing my CAT dream. I will call her Isha from now on (name changed).Spoilers: This love story is not going to end well.The First MileFrom June 2012 to January 2013, I prepared religiously for CAT. I became very strong in quant and DI, however, my English and LR section still needed a lot of improvement. I used to top in most of the tests that were conducted in our TIME classes. One day that I remember in particular was when we had our quant numbers class. The first question that the teacher asked was-What is the last digit of 2^16 (answered in 6 seconds by me)The highest power of 5 in 100! (answered in 4 seconds by me)I used to solve questions at the drop of a hat in the classroom and it used to give me a great amount of confidence. Amidst all this supreme hitting by me, Isha who was sitting at the front seats looks back at me, my eyes again meet hers and she can clearly see the temperament in them and she looks impressed.The Feel-Good PeriodIsha and I were sitting together in the vocab class, “Vocab is so boring”, I tell her. “Well you need to clear it in order to score well in CAT so we will have to study it I guess”, she replies. Since meeting her, I had added her on Facebook where the two of us had started talking, numbers were exchanged and now we were good buddies. All of this continued till May 2013, we used to talk all day about our ambitions, why we wanted to clear CAT.A word of advice to the future aspirants, having a study buddy really helps. Preparing for CAT can be a lonely journey and if you have someone with whom you can talk to or share everything, it can be very helpful.The Race BeginsI gave my first AIMCAT on 16th may 2013, AIMCAT 1320 it was then that I realized just how different it is to solve questions in a panic induced and a time-restricted environment. I scored 82%ile in it. Next came AIMCAT 1319 scored 89%ile OA, then AIMCAT 1318 92%ile, AIMCAT 1317 88%ile and then 1316 97%ile. My scores for the year 2013 used to hover around the 90-95 mark with sectionals going all over the place. CAT 2013 arrives. On 25th October 2013, I wrote CAT for the first time. I had decent sleep in the night. I woke up and talked to Isha, she wished me best of luck. By the time I was in the examination hall I was panicking, anxiety levels were at an all-time high for me.The moment I sat on my seat, my mouse wasn’t working and when you are so tensed up things like this can really get to you. I called the invigilator and he got it to work. The exam started and I couldn’t solve anything for the first 10 minutes and by then I was really shitting myself. The 2013 CAT paper was one of the toughest ever and in the first 70 min, I could solve only 9/30 questions in the QA/DI section (back then CAT had only 2 sections) but later on, I calmed myself and ended up solving 25/30 questions in the LR/VA/RC section.When I got out I was broken, I knew I had tanked badly. The next few minutes were really bad for me. I spoke to Isha on the phone and she consoled me. Then I came home and spoke to dad and told him it didn’t go well. He was clearly upset and disappointed with me. I also cried a little and spoke to my brother. He reminded me of the posts in All I wanted to speak about CAT in which people crack CAT in there 5th attempts and told me to soldier on and that really gave me a lot of strength and I decided then and there that one day I will have my vengeance.Keeping your calm on the D-day is the most important thing, I know it is easier said than done but think like this, there are millions of people in this country who don’t even know where their next meal is going to come from, there are real absolute tragedies in this world but not being able to clear CAT is certainly not one of them.When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is the place and time that the tide will turn.Life Throws A Curveball.After the CAT disaster, I sat for Infosys recruitment drive and completely destroyed its placement paper but when the results came in the night I was broken to see – Sorry, you are not selected. I, the guy, who was scoring 95+ in AIMCAT mocks couldn’t even clear the Infosys Aptitude – man that was a new low! Everyone in my family was shocked, my friends were shocked. Hell! What hurt even more, was that guys who were not even preparing for CAT ended up clearing it. 15 days later I went to an off-campus recruitment drive and a US based IT firm offering 5 LPA where over a 1000 students sat. I almost didn’t go there thinking that I possibly cannot clear it. But I went anyway. Then after the aptitude round, only 150 students remained and I was the only one from my college. Then GD and another aptitude round were conducted and only 30 students remained, I cleared that as well.Then finally, 2 interview rounds were conducted after which only 2 students were selected out of 1000 student drive and I was one of them. So I had bagged the 5LPA job in Delhi-NCR. In 15 days life had shown me different colors.Always seek out the seeds of triumph in every adversity. Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, Dream, Discover. -Mark TwainThe First ResultIt was 14th January 2014, that the results of CAT were declared. I entered the credentials and was really scared out of my mind and then the screen read-CAT 2013 Results Overall percentile: 95.32 | Quant/DI : 87.xx | VA/LR : 97.xxI had mixed feelings about the result. After such a horrible paper, I wasn’t expecting 95 however my family was really disappointed that even after 1 and a half year of hard work I had again screwed up. Isha also screwed up and scored 96 percentile and after this, we started spending more time together. We used to go to movies together and since she was also placed now we were both really relaxed and that helped in steering things forward. By the end of June 2014, I had converted both IMI and IMT but I decided to leave these colleges and have another go at CAT.“No one is going to hand me success. I must go out & get it myself. That’s why I’m here. To dominate. To conquer. Both the world and myself.” – UnknownPart 2 (The One Where Bad Turns To Worse)“If two points are destined to touch, the universe will always find a way to make the connection – even when all hope seems to be lost. Certain ties cannot be broken. They define who we are and who we become. Across space, across time, among paths we cannot predict- nature will always find a way.”The Second AttemptI started my job on 1st July 2014, from the onset, it was very tough because it was not your typical IT job. I was working in a US based startup with ample of challenges but with learning opportunities as well.I didn’t join any test series this time (big mistake, Mr. Overconfident). I only used to give some free mocks here and there.I gave CAT 2014 on 22nd November 2014 it was a 170 min affair with 2 sections and unlike last year, I got off to a flying start but after 120 min I paid the price for under practice. I hadn’t trained enough and didn’t have the stamina to last for a 3 hour test and ended up being completely blank for the last 30 min, I had never felt so helpless in my life. In spite of having solved 67/100, I was hopeful for a 98+ percentile.Disaster Strikes.The result of CAT 2014 came on 27th December 2014, I was in Goa enjoying with my family. I came to know about Isha’s result earlier she had scored 99+ and then I saw my result.Overall percentile: 96.2Quant/DI: 83.xxVA/LR: 98.xxI was completely and utterly heartbroken.The time from 27th December 2014 to 15th May 2015 was the toughest of my life, Isha converted IIM Lucknow while I could again convert only IMI, IMT-G.Throughout this time, she was extremely supportive and before going she told me that we will always stay in touch but I felt as if I didn’t deserve her. I had initially planned about proposing her but after the CAT disaster, I just didn’t care about all that.During that time, I completely lost my confidence and self-believe, seeing that Isha suggested that I take admission in IMI over which we had a huge fight.Looking back, I now realize that she cared about me and knew that it was very much possible that I might not even get 96 next year and that would further screw up my life.Musicians don’t retire; they stop when there’s no more music in them but I still had some music left in me (powerful hardcore rock music).Deep down, I knew that I still had one more CAT attempt left in me so I started again and decided that this would be my final attempt.“Good things come to those who believe, better things come to those who are patient and the best things come to those who don’t give up.”One Last Ride.I started studying for CAT 2015 by giving a couple of mocks, I gave the first 3 bullseye free mocks and ended up scoring 99,97,98 in them and upon analysis, I came to know that I was now very strong in LR/VA/RC but how you might ask? I had inculcated a habit of reading for at least 3-4 hours every day whether it be during office or during the commute and that skyrocketed my reading speed and after some practice and analysis, I started comprehending the English section very well. So that breaks the myth that the English section cannot be improved or that engineers can become good only in quant. After that, the bullseye mocks became extremely tough so I left them for TIME and IMS test series.“It’s Not Whether You Get Knocked Down, It’s Whether You Get Up.”- Vince LombardiLife became extremely hectic, from Monday to Friday I used to work diligently in office as I was now selected for the best client in my company. I used to study for CAT after coming back from office for usually 1-2 hours and on Saturdays and Sundays I used to give mocks.Some Gyaan Regarding MocksIn my opinion, Time and IMS have the best Test series among the lot.TIMEPros: Highest no of test takers, God in quant/LR/DI, Amazing analysis of Mocks.Cons: Average VA/RC.IMSPros: God in VA/RC, decent no of test takers almost equal to that of TIME, Ample no of mocks not only for CAT but also for SNAP,NMAT,XAT.Cons: NoneAccording to me, 20-25 mocks with proper analysis are enough for scoring 99+ in CAT but more than just giving them you should focus on in-depth analysis.From May 2016 – November 2016 all I did was eat, sleep and study. I didn’t open Facebook or went to parties or even socialized. I even turned down a proposal from a girl because all I cared about in my life now was to break CAT like it had broken me.Advice to future aspirants:“You’re never as good as everyone tells you when you win, and you’re never as bad as they say when you lose.”Hence never lose your confidence if you score 60-80 in a mock nor become overconfident when you score 99+, always analyze why you score 80 or 90 that is what will matter in the end.2 weeks before CAT, I took a leave from office and gave around 8-9 mocks, during that time I synchronized my body to be on optimal performance from 3:30-6:30 PM the time during which I was supposed to have my CAT exam.By the end of the Mock season, I had given around 40 Mocks. 25 of them being SIMCATs (I just love the VA/RC that they make).My mock scores used to hover around 96-99.90 which is decent for a 99+ percentile in CAT.I would also like to mention www.cat100percentile.com as this site greatly helped me with the theory of quant.“If You Are Working On Something That You Really Care About, You Don’t Have To Be Pushed. The Vision Pulls You.”- Steve JobsA couple of days before CAT, I spoke to Isha as it was her birthday, she wished me best but clearly we had grown apart, we talked for about an hour regarding everything from her life at L to the financial condition of the country but I realized then and there that her going to IIML and we growing apart was probably the best thing that ever happened to me.It had bruised my ego and that made me prepare for CAT with even more tenacity and now I was riled mad wanting to prove myself. But on the relationship front I had lost her and I was probably okay with that because I felt as if her purpose in my life was complete. Also the night before CAT, I spoke to my mom and she told me a very simple yet powerful thing that “Dreams come true” and we are with you no matter what.“What You Lack In Talent Can Be Made Up With Desire, Hustle And Giving 110% All The Time.”- Don ZimmerPart 3 (The One With The Final Showdown)29th November 2015 arrives…Sure I am, that this day we are masters of our fate, that the task which has been set before us is not above our strength; that its pangs and toils are not beyond my endurance. As long as we have faith in our cause and an unconquerable will to win, victory will not be denied us.I woke up at 10:30 that day having taken 8-9 hours of disturbed sleep and I was scared like hell but believe me guys it’s perfectly normal to feel this way. Even athletes like Roger Federer and Michael Jordan feel butterflies in their stomach before big matches but what makes them champions is the ability to handle this pressure.’Next, I reached the center about 45 minutes early, spoke to my friends and my brother, I had come to know that this year, the exam was quite similar to the last one, tough DI/LR with easy QA/VA/RC. I was ready to meet CAT for the 3rd and last time.Before the exam began, I sat idle before the computer screen for around 15-20 minutes, my eyes kept looking at CAT 2015 written on the screen and I remembered my last 2 attempts and how much I had grown and changed since the time I started all this, in fact, I had been doing this for so long I could hardly believe that this was finally ending today. The last 4 years sort of flashed before my eyes in a split second.The exam started and I went on offense, solved all 34 questions in the VA/RC section in just 55 min and stayed pretty much idle for the next 5mins.Then came the storm of DI/LR and man that was tough but thanks to some luck and good question selection I solved 24 questions in that.After that, I slowed down a bit and could solve only 28/34 in quant but overall with an attempt of 86/100 I was confident about my chances.The Final Result…..(The Fairy Tale Comes True)The result of CAT 2015 came on 8th January and it looked something like this for me.CAT 2015Overall percentile: 99.50VA/RC: 99.01DI/LR: 99.22QA: 97.00I had never felt so happy in my life. All the pain, all the suffering, the anxiety, fear was worth it. It was and will always be the best moment of my life.I updated my Whatsapp status and during the night Isha called me to congratulate me and she sounded extremely happy. We talked for about 2 hours on the phone and I promised her a grand party whenever she was back in Delhi.I did pretty well in other entrance exams as well.XAT: 99.01 SNAP: 99.43 IIFT: 96.xx NMAT: 98.xxOur greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.The Final Frontier (Interviews)This is where I capitalized on all my experience of having already given 6-7 b-school interviews but because I am a GEM (General Engineer Male) with average acads, I received interview call only from FMS,IIM L,K new IIMs, MDI, NITIE, and others.Clearing the interview stage is all about knowing yourself inside out; you should know your strengths and weaknesses and be aware of the happenings in the world. But basically, you should know your X-factor, what separates you from the herd.“My brother has his sword, King Robert has his Warhammer and I have my mind…and a mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone if it is to keep its edge. That’s why I read so much Jon Snow.” ― Tyrion Lannister, Game of ThronesThe Interview Of My LifeI had my IIMK interview on 23rd Feb 2016 and to be honest, I felt very lucky to have been given an opportunity to realize my dream. People die everyday, moppin’ floors, washin’ dishes and you know what their last thought is? I never got my shot, but now after nearly 4 years I was going to get my first IIM interview.I had an early morning slot and because of all the tension, I couldn’t eat anything. After I arrived at the interview venue I realized that I hadn’t brought all my payslip. Almost had a heart attack in that moment but I convinced the panel that I will show it to them later on.I guess this is what differentiates me from what I was a few years ago, now I never lose my calm and confidence and the slight hiccup actually sort of unwinded me.I started the GD and spoke the most in it and was the first one to be called for the interview.There I told them about my 2 failed CAT attempts and used that in inferring that I am someone who never quits and if given the chance at IIM Kozhikode I will make the most of it. It was a 30 min interview and I had absolutely nailed it.Coming Back To The Present.You are what your deep, driving desire is. As your desire is, so is your will. As your will is, so is your deed. As your deed is, so is your destiny.The moment I heard on Pagalguy that the result of IIM Kozhikode has been declared my heart went haywire. After 4 years how was it all going to end? And then I saw it.Congratulations KARAN KAKKAR, you have been selected for the post graduate program in management at IIM Kozhikode…Saw it again a couple of times to make sure that it was right and then felt such a wave of emotions. I almost had tears of happiness in my eyes but composed myself as I was in the office.Since then life has been great and about the lady, well, we met after my selection and had an IIM L meets IIM K party where I finally told her how I feel and how much she means to me after which she got really emotional but couldn’t decide on an answer to give me (I told her to take her time) and since then we were talking on a daily basis. In fact, things changed a lot since I started writing this and I might just get the girl as well. For now, I am leaving this love story open-ended (there you have it, winning a girl’s heart is tougher than clearing CAT) and if something does happens I will update this post.The Happy Ending…If my story can motivate someone then this post would have found its purpose, when I was younger I was motivated by so many stories on this holy thread.Sometimes right before you quit… Just hold on for a little longer because… Champions don’t always win…but they never quit to losses… success is not about winning all your battles but it’s about how long you can stay with your losses and let them turn you into a champion. One day your time will come, my friend.Thanks to the entire pagalguy community for their constant mentorship and motivation, it wouldn’t have been possible without you guys.Also, thanks to everyone for reading this.Signing off.About the Author:Karan KakkarIIM Kozhikode PGP 2016-2018‘What we do in life echoes in eternity’Edit: A lot of people have been asking me whether there is a channel where they can read more stuff written by me. I'm on Instagram as @midnight.ruminations, please do follow it since I will be writing new content there :)